1. happy children - in the residential house that we stayed in, there's a little girl named Shantal (i'm disgusted i didn't have a photo of her taken). she was always smiling even with her front teeth missing. her giggle was very infectious i can't help but smile every time i heard it and she'd talk to her mom with so much energy. i guess this is what you get when you rear your child in a simple yet ample environment. Sagada is rural but it's definitely not poor. in fact, i felt like every family had the same economic status with the others, and i find that really great because every one feels they belong and children would grow without insecurities in that kind of setup. hence, not just Shantal, but the other kids as well were cheerful and their laughter is one of the few loud sounds you'd hear there.
2. such a quiet place - you wouldn't hear any loud music played from the neighborhood. the televisions were on a very low volume, it's almost impossible to hear them. people wouldn't dare shout and would talk with a very pleasant sound. again, the children's laughter, and the dogs' barks were just the most common noises you'd come to hear. indeed, it's somewhere where you could totally relax in silence while savoring the cold weather.
3. healthy dogs - every house there had a "bantay". the dogs serve as their security guards. when we passed by the houses when we went up to Kiltepan early in the morning, one dog after another would bark at us. they were so alert and really ready to protect their masters. and every dog there was goodlooking-- with thick hair and healthy body.
4. short hair for most women - i didn't know what's the reason why this was so. during my stay there, maybe there were just three or four long-haired women that i saw.
5. great English accent - the people there were born with it. i guess they must have adapted it from their local dialect how they enunciate words. i was surprised with the fruit vendor perfectly pronouncing "one hundred" so naturally. i was stunned. also, their dialect Kankanaey has a little resemblance with Meranao which i am quite familiar with, so it's like i wasn't totally lost when i heard locals converse amongst themselves.
6. no traces of air pollution - i think i never saw any smoke there. no one's burning trash. there were no smoke belchers. it's like they're allergic to smoke. as a result, establishments, even the ones along the hi-way were very clean and tidy as the air was dust-free. and i guess, even if you don't pick your nose for a week there, it wouldn't be a problem.
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| inside Cafe Bodega of Rock Inn-- looking so new |
8. from paganism - the original people of Sagada were pagans before they converted to the Anglican Catholic church. but even so, some still remain pagans and stories about their rituals and traditions are still a word of mouth amongst the locals there. one of the interesting traditions they have is putting dead bodies in hanging coffins.
9. Sagada oranges - contrary to popular belief, the huge Sagada oranges aren't from Sagada. they're from Nueva Vizcaya and it's like Sagadans don't want to claim the pride for something that's really not theirs. the real Sagada oranges are actually small but they're oh so yummy.
10. deceiving house exteriors - from the outside, you would see that most of the houses' walls are built with tin. with that, you'd probably suspect that it's hideous inside. but you'll be proven wrong when you see that the interior's walls are as shiny as the floor. the pine tree wood really is a nice material that it gives the houses a very neat and sturdy look inside.
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| we slept in the living room of the house where we stayed in. it's like all the rooms were the same, it wouldn't be a big deal if i slept in the kitchen. but not in the toilet of course. |
great!
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